1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for providing manufacturer support for products, and more particularly to a system, method and apparatus for automatically determining a level of product support authorized to a specific product unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most product manufacturers provide some level of product support such as providing technical assistance, warranty repairs, and technical assistance with operating and maintaining their product. For example, a computer is sold to an end user/customer. If the customer has a problem with the computer, then the customer will contact the manufacturer to provide some assistance in resolving his problem (i.e., provide some product support). Product support can include many levels of support ranging from one-on-one technical assistance from a product support agent, to providing warranty repairs and replacements and to providing access to a product support database (i.e., a knowledge base).
Various levels of support are typically offered during different portions of a product's serviceable lifetime. For example, a new product might include one-on-one product support term with the manufacturer's product support agent for the first 90 days after sale. After the first 90 days, only limited support is provided (i.e., access to a product knowledge base and warranty repair/replacement by mail, etc.) for yet another term such as one year after purchase. Eventually, the product may no longer be supported because the product is obsolete or for other business and/or technical reasons.
Product support terms and levels of product support are limited due to basic economics. A manufacturer “pays” for the product support costs from a portion of the price of the products sold. The product support budget is limited and therefore requires that the product support also have reasonable, economic limits.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art processing of a product support call from an end user/customer. In block 102, a product support call is received from a customer in a call center. Typically, a product support agent receives the customer's call. In block 104, the product support agent collects the product information from the customer. The product information includes the product identification information such as part numbers, unit serial number, manufacturer, where the customer purchased the unit, and many other questions simply to properly identify the unit. For example, if the unit is a peripheral card such as a SCSI controller card, and the unit is installed as part of a personal computer, then properly and completely identifying the unit can be difficult and time consuming.
Once the product is properly identified, then in block 110, the product support agent determines whether or not the customer is authorized any product support. Determining if the customer is authorized any product support can include researching through databases, determining if warranty period has expired, and other inquiries which consume more of the product support agent's time and effort. Often, a customer may not be sure of the manufacturer of the product and therefore may call the incorrect manufacturer's product support call center. In block 110, if the customer is authorized any product support, then the process continues in block 120 where the authorized levels of product support are provided to the customer. Then the call ends in block 140.
If the customer is not authorized any product support in block 110, then the process continues to block 130. In block 130, the product support agent determines whether or not the customer should receive any complimentary product support. Oftentimes the product manufacturer will wish to build customer goodwill by providing limited product support on a complimentary basis (i.e., complimentary product support) even though the product support term has expired. Further, the product support agent will often desire not to simply refuse to provide any type of support and just leave the customer without any direction or assistance. Therefore, limited complimentary product support is often provided. The complimentary product support is typically not in-depth troubleshooting but is limited to at least some advice or other assistance. Providing even complimentary product support incurs costs to the manufacturer in the form of product support agent man-hours being given away to the customer and therefore complimentary product support must have strict controls.
If in block 130, the product support agent decides to provide some complimentary product support, then in block 132, the complimentary product support is provided to the customer, and the call ends in block 140. If in block 130, the product support agent decides not to provide any complimentary technical support, then the call ends in block 140.
Often a customer will make a second product support call, even though he learned in the first call, such as described above, that he was outside the product support term of his product. When the customer's second call is received, a product support agent must again complete the entire process of FIG. 1. The customer's second call results in at least the additional expense of re-identifying the product and determining product support terms, etc. (i.e., blocks 102-110 of FIG. 1). In addition, if the customer's second call is received by a different product support agent than the first call, then the second product support agent may provide even more complimentary support. Under the prior art process described in FIG. 1, the product manufacturer is often forced to absorb many man-hours expended to providing unnecessary complimentary product support and for only identifying the product, etc.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a method for controlling the expense required to determine if product support is authorized for the customer's unit and for limiting any complimentary support provided to the customer.